No. 87 Our Brother’s Keeper

Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Matthew 18:6-7; Mark 9:42 Be on your guard. If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. Luke 17:1-3,

Rebuking others who have missed the Mark seems to run counter to the mandates not to judge and to forgive.

Like a seamless linen cloth, we form a fabric-of-being with other children of God. While the strength of this holy cloth depends in part on letting God be the Judge, here we are told to rebuke stray siblings. To let them go wild would be to accept a low quality weave, or tears in the fabric, neither of which the Creator would do.

“Look at the Mark! Don’t shoot way over there! Now, try again. Shall I help you?” I hear the good marksman say. And then, “Whoa, Jack!!! What are you doing?! Don’t trip that kid! Come on, straighten up.”

We pedestrians on the narrow path, cringe when we hear about pedophile priests; stunned we wait for their superiors to meet out a punishment that is never enough.

Don’t let that be a cause to stumble. In our frustration let’s recall Jesus saying that it would be better for a millstone to be hung around their necks and they were thrown into the sea.
The bad news is that we miss the Mark when we cause others to stumble, for far lessor reasons, which can be very easy to do with some people, and for not rebuking offenders.

I hate rebuking, don’t you? It’s an easy way to start an argument.

If you know someone is hurting a child, and you don’t rebuke, then it is as if you were the culprit but consent.

Being thrown into the sea tied to a millstone has got to be worse. Be brave.